£17m BMW Group Academy UK opens for business

The BMW Group Academy UK was officially opened today (5 May). This brand new,
purpose-built training and development facility represents an investment by the
BMW Group of £17 million underlining the company's commitment to the UK skills
agenda.

Based at Verve Venues' Wokefield Park, near Reading, BMW Group Academy UK will
provide all technical and non-technical training for the BMW, MINI and
motorcycle dealer networks and will also be available to BMW Group's employees
throughout the UK.

Incorporating a 32 bay workshop, 22 training rooms and BMW, MINI and motorcycle
showrooms to simulate a working dealer environment, the 5,400 square metre
two-storey facility also features a dedicated apprentice training area with its
own residential accommodation and a separate clubhouse for the current intake
of between 160-170 apprentices per year.

Jim O'Donnell, managing director of BMW (UK) Ltd said: " Recruitment and
retention of skilled people are critical issues facing the retail automotive
sector. In order to meet the growth in BMW and MINI UK sales volumes over the
next three years we need to increase the number of people working in our
dealerships from 11,000 today to 12,500 by 2010. By providing what we believe
are the best training programmes, in the best facility in the industry in the
UK, we are confident that we will address this issue."

Skills Minister, Phil Hope, said: "Engineering is one of this country's most
important skills sectors and this Academy will make an important contribution
to its productivity. This Government's skills strategy aims to make training
more employer-led, focusing on the skills industry needs and giving employees a
foundation to build their careers.

"Sweeping changes in our recent Further Education White Paper will also help
make Colleges more responsive to employer's needs, giving people the training
they need in the workplace where it suits them best. By keeping staff
motivated and by providing quality training, centres like this will help
employees be dedicated to their company and improve this nation's
competitiveness."

BMW (UK) Limited has signed a long-term service agreement with Verve Venues
(formally known as Initial Style Conferences), the UK's leading provider of
training and conference centres and a subsidiary of Alternative Hotels Group,
to provide its dedicated training facilities.

Tony Dangerfield, Chief Operating Officer at Verve Venues, said: "I am
delighted that we have been appointed by BMW UK to provide this new facility.
The provision of dedicated residential training facilities, tailored to the
needs of leading corporations in the UK, remains the unique speciality of Verve
Venues. We welcome BMW to Wokefield Park where they join Xerox and KPMG at the
UK's leading venue for corporate learning and employee development."

Ends

For further information and images please contact:
Angela Stangroom - Group Communications Manager
Tel: 01344 480537
Email: angela.stangroom@bmw.co.uk
Natalie Wakefield - Group Communications Executive
Tel: 01344 480108
Email: natalie.wakefield@bmw.co.uk

High-resolution images are available for the media to view and download free of
charge from www.vismedia.co.uk
Attachement - speech of Jim O'Donnell, managing director, BMW (UK) Ltd